Sanitary milk-pail.



T. S. CATLIN. SANITARY MILK PAIL. APPLICATION FILED FEB.2I. 191's.

1 217,564. Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

THQMAS s. o TLIn,

or GUION, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T0 HARDY w. ROBBINS, or GwYnNnvInLE, INDIANA.

SANITARY MILK-PAIL.

Specification o f Letters latent. P t t d 27, 1917,

Application filed. February 21, 1916. Serial No. 79,675.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, TI-IoMAs ,S/CATLIN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Guion, in the county of Parke and State of -Indiana,have inv'entedcertain new'and useful Improvementsin Sanitary Milk-Pails; and I do hereby declare the following to be, a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to improvementsiin containers, and more particularly to such as are especially adapted for use during the operation of milking or other like opera: tions, where there is thepossibility of accidental overturning. of the container, and

where it is desirable to prevent such an accident from causing loss of the contained substance.

The object in View is the provision of a cover or closure for a container adapted to permit the inflowing of liquid and toprevent its discharge and a further object is the provision of means for preventing accidental removal or dislocation of such closure from thereceptacle.- V

WVith these and further objects in view, as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as subse-- quently specified and claimed.

'In the accompanyingdrawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a container embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central'section therethrough, parts being seen in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a fragment of the same on an enlarged scale, parts being seen in the position assumed when the re-, ceptacle is lying on its side. a a

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the parts seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, detail elevation of one of the bail receiving ears and contiguous parts, fragments only of the bucket, the bail, and the bucket closure being seen. V

Referring 'to the drawing by numerals, 1 indicates a bucket or other appropriate container, having a cover or closure 2provided with anannular outstanding flange?) adapted in operation to rest upon an annular bead 4 formed at the upper edge of the bucket A pendent annular flange 5 extends from the closure 2 downward from flange 3 and is adapted to snugly fit Within the upper portion of the container 1. The closure 2 ispreferably' formed of an upwardlyftapering body rising from thefiange 3 for a ,distance sufficient for accommodating a funnellike portion 6 depending from the upper part of the inclined walls of the closure 2 without having the funnel 6 extending an, objectionable distance into the bucket or container l. The upper edge of the funnel 6 is formed integral with the upper edge portion of't'he inclined wallsv of closure 2, so

that the funnel ,6 in fact forms a part of the closure 2. -The lower portion of'the funnel 6 terminates in a straight or-cylindrical throat 7, formed with an annular bead 8,;

on which rests an annulus -9 within the throat 7. The annulus 9 carries a fine, preferably metallic, filter 10.' A cap 11 rests upon the annulus 9 for holding the same in, place, the said cap consisting of a cylindrical member preferably formed of sheet metal and snugly fitting in the upper portion of the throat 7, the upper end of the cylindrical portion being closed by a wire mesh screen 11, preferably of larger gage than the mesh of the filter 10. As a' further precaution for avoiding entrance of foreign substances through the throat ,7, a filter fabric 12 is preferably stretched across the annulus-9 before the same is introduced into the throat 7, so that the fabric 1'2'will be clamped between the annulus and the bead. 8. An operating handle 13 is formed on the cap 11, so-that the cap may. be easily applied and as easily removed.

' The lower end of the throat 7 is partly closed-bya plate 14 which may be. formed integral with the throat 7 and is provided with a central aperture 15. A sleeve 16 is constructed toslide on to the throat or cylindrical portion'7and to snuglysurround the same so as to'be'held "in: engagement therewith 'by friction. The lower end of the sleeve 16 is partly closed by an inwardly extending flange 17 formed with apertures 18 "for'the passage of milk or other fluid,

and with a central, enlarged opening 19 through which extends the'smaller portion of a valve '20. The valve 20 consists of a conical or frusto-conical body preferably hollow, but Which may be otherwise formed and which is positioned for having its base or flat outer end exposed toward the inner an inclined wall to the edge of the-aperture 19. When the parts are in the upright position as seen in Fig. 2, and which position is always assumed for purposes of facility of identification of relative locations in this description unless otherwise specifically stated, the valve is sustained solely by the flange 17 and leaves the aperture 15 open and free for the infiowing of liquid. When, however, the receptacle 1 is tilted to approximately a horizontal position, the inclined wall of the conical valve 20, which is presented to the edge of the aperture 19 enables the valve to slide outward, especially since the outer portion of the valve is heavier than its inner portion. Thus, the valve is caused to take a seat against the plate 14, and the said plate may, therefore, be properly designated as a valve seat. Toinsure this action with the least possible tilting of the receptacle 1 that would lead to discharge of liquid therefrom, the outer portion of valve 20 is preferably weighted beyond its normal weight by having its base or outermost wall formed of thicker material, preferably of metal, than the other walls. This excess weight can, of course, be secured in many other ways.

In operation, during the course of milking, the streams of milk will strike the walls of the funnel 6 and descend through the strainers and through the aperture 15 down on top of the larger end of valve 20, and falling therefrom will descend through the apertures 18 into the receptacle. Assuming that an accident occurs, causing the bucket or container 1 to be thrown to one side, completely or partly filled, it will be noted that just as quickly as the bucket turns over on its side or assumes an appreciable inclination in that direction, the valve 20 will slide on its inclined wall against the edge of aperture 19 and be caused to rest by gravity with its outer or valve face engaging the valve seat 14, and thus closing the aperture 15 against accidental discharge of liquid from the container. When the bucket is picked up again and set in its upright position, the valve 20 will naturally adjust itself to its normal position, moving from that seen in Fig. 3 to that seen in Fig. 2. The inclination of the conical walls of valve 20 and their length should. be such that the lowest point of the valve face or base of the valve 20 may rest in the angle formed between the inner edge of throat 7 and the adjacent portion of the wall of sleeve 16, with the inner portion of the valve resting against and extending inwardly beyond the edge of the aperture 19, when the parts are tilted as indicated in Fig. 3.

The sleeve 16 is merely slid upon the throat portion 7 and while held frictionally in place during use, may be easily manually withdrawn so that the valve 20 may be taken out for purposes of cleansing the parts, and the parts can be as easily reassembled as they were removed.

It is apparent, of course, that if the container 1 were overturned or thrown to one side, and the cover or closure 2 should accidentally become dislocated or removed "from the container, the value of the valve 20 and its cooperating parts will be absolutely lost. It is, therefore, desirable to provide some eflicient and easy, and quickly operating means for locking said closure against such dislocation. To this end, and to the further end of preventing the said locking means from interfering with the ready removal of the closure when desired, the receptacle 1 is provided with gears 21, 21, fixed to the opposite sides of the receptacle and each provided, as best seen in'Fig. 5, with an elongated slot 22. While the slot is shown as key-hole in shape, it may otherwise be formed as for instance a straight slot. Engaging the said ears are the end portions of a bail 23, each of the said end portions consisting of a horizontal part 24 and a hook portion 25. The horizontal part 24, in each instance, extends through the slot 22, so that the hook 25 will be at the out side of the ear and the body portion of the bail 23 at the inside thereof. 'Each of the ears 21 outstands from the bead 4 a distance suflicient to accommodate the bail 23 between the bead and ear, and the horizontal portion 24 in each instance is of sufficient length to extend from the ear an appreciable distance beond the bead 4, whereby the horizontal portion 24 may be caused to overlie the flange 3, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2 in full lines. The bail 23 is made of spring material, so that when the horizontal parts 24 thus overhang the flange 3, the bail will actually clamp the inclined walls of the closure 2 and the bail may be swung from its raised position as seen inrFig. 2 to its horizontal position as seen in Fig. 4, without appreciably varying this gripping relation, and while retaining the flange 3 firmly held by the horizontal portion 24, so that the closure 2 can not accidentally be removed. When it is desired, however, to remove the closure, the bail is swung to its horizontal position as seen in Fig. 4 and as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 5, and then its end portions are sprung outward to the intermediate position seen in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and then lowered to the third or lowest position seen in dotted lines in Fig. 5. When in this p0- sition, the bail will be in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, with its end portions lying below the bead 4, and entirely out of the way of the closure, so that the from the seat, the upper end of the valve being flat and adapted to engage the valve seat and close the aperture thereof, and a casing for normally sustaining the valve spaced from its seat, the casing being formed with a wall engaging the inclined wall of the valve in position for causing the valve to slide toward its seat when the container 010-,

sure is tilted.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a container closure having an apertured valve seat, and a valve for closing said aperture, the said valve being located normally below the aperture and being formed substantially conical with the baseof the cone presented toward the valve seat for closing the same-when the valve is in engagement with its seat, and a casing confining the valve and directing the same to its seat when the inclined wall of the valve engages the casing incident to tilting ofthe closure.

3. In a device ofthe' class described, the combination with a container closure having an apertured valve seat, of a slidingly mounted valve disposed to engage said seat for preventing discharge of liquid outwardly through the closure when the closure is tilted, the said valve having its valve-seatengaging face formed heavier than other portions of the valve, and the valve being formed with inclined walls located to tend to throw the valve toward its seat when the container closure is tilted.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a container closure having an apertured valve seat and a valve having a face adapted to close said aperture when the container closure is tilted, and means for sustaining the valve in position with its face spaced from the valve seat when the container closure is not tilted, the face of the valve being formed heavier than the other portions of the valve. o

In testimony whereof I afiix my'signature in presence of'two witnesses.

' THOMAS S. CATLIN.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE T. BICKELL, FRANK J. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

